Eubranchus linensis
Garcia-Gomez, Cervera & Garcia, 1990
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Eubranchidae
DISTRIBUTION
Reported from southern Spain and Portugal
PHOTO
Locality: Peniche, 10 metres, Portugal, North Atlantic, 02 September 2007, Rocky bottom. Length: less than 1 cm. Photographer: Joao Pedro Silva.
Typical eubranchid shape with swollen cerata arranged in slightly sloping rows. The body is translucent white with opaque white tips to the rhinophores, oral tentacles and cerata. Blood red to brown patches of irregular shape and size are scattered all over the body.
It has similarities in external shape and colour to one colour form of Eubranchus farrani but the authors consider slight differences in the reproductive system and buccal armature are significant. It grows to at least 20 mm in length.
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García-Gómez, J. C., Cervera, J. L., and García, F. J. (1990) Description of Eubranchus linensis new species (Nudibranchia), with remarks on diauly in nudibranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 56: 585-593.
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (September 13) Eubranchus linensis Garcia-Gomez, Cervera & Garcia, 1990. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/eubrline
Related messages
Re: Eubranchus linensis from Portugal
March 30, 2009
From: Bernard Picton
Concerning message #20732:
Hi Bill,
I was just reading this and realised you asked me a question. Only about a year and a half late!
The molecular studies were by Christine Morrow and led on to the description of Doto sarsiae and Doto hydrallmaniae, which was published in MEPS, 84. (online here http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v84/ )
The work on Eubranchus was really a negative result, so not published! I agree with your comments about using some DNA sequencing as that was done with allozymes.
Looking at the pictures I do think E. linensis is different to any variety of E. farrani I've ever seen, and the E. farrani colour varieties are often in a big group feeding and mating together, so must be colour varieties, I think.
Bernard
bernard.picton@nmni.com
Picton, B. E., 2009 (Mar 30) Re: Eubranchus linensis from Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22369Thanks Bernard,
Answers are always welcome - even after a year and a half.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Eubranchus linensis from Portugal
September 17, 2007
From: Juan Lucas Cervera
Concerning message #20731:
Hi Bill,
Can you tell me if the molecular studies on Eubranchus farrani are published? Where?
On the other hand, I have checked the color descriptions of the different varieties of this species. None of them shows the tips of the rhinophores and oral tentacles opaque white, nor the edge of the foot with the same pigmentation, like in E. linensis. It would be very interesting to know if the recently photographed specimens from Portugal and Holland show this last feature. This is pointed in the text and in Figure 1 (A, B) of the original description of E. linensis, although is not mentioned in the Discussion section.
Some months ago a picture of one specimen collected at the Strait of Gibraltar was sent to me and it matches perfectly with the original description.
Best.
Lucas.
lucas.cervera@uca.es
Cervera, J.L, 2007 (Sep 17) Re: Eubranchus linensis from Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20732Dear Lucas,
Hopefully if Bernard is not busy in the field he will let us know.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Eubranchus linensis from Portugal
September 15, 2007
From: Juan Lucas Cervera
Concerning message #20684:
Hi Bill,
Here is one of the colour plates from the original description of Eubranchus linensis showing a 20 mm long specimens from Tarifa, Spain. [Photographer: Jose Carlos García-Gómez]. In the published description there is a comparison with E. farrani.
On the other hand, I consider that a molecular study of the different varieties of E. farrani could be interesting and could help to delimit such "varieties" of E. linensis.
- García-Gómez, J. C., Cervera, J. L., and García, F. J. (1990) Description of Eubranchus linensis new species (Nudibranchia), with remarks on diauly in nudibranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 56: 585-593.
Best.
Lucas.
lucas.cevera@uca.es
Cervera, J.L., 2007 (Sep 15) Re: Eubranchus linensis from Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20731Thanks Lucas,
I don't know enough about either species to have an opinion on whether E. linensis is a good species or not. I read the comparison with E. farrani and note they both fall into a group of species with a penial style and differentiated prostate gland, but wonder whether the other anatomical differences are significant. For example Edmunds & Kress's description of the reproductive system is based on reconstruction of serial sections, which make comparing relative lengths of ducts difficult, and from my experience with serial sections it is almost impossible to determine unequivocally that a duct inserts into the ampulla terminally or laterally, but near the tip.
Today's photo from Marco Faasse [#20727] of an animal that looks like E. linensis from Holland, and Jim Anderson's photo [#11240] from Scotland are certainly thought provoking.
I see in an early message [#1344] on the Forum that Bernard Picton notes that he could not distinguish differences in the colour morphs of E. farrani using protein electrophoresis. Techniques have advanced so quickly in this field of research that another look using molecular techniques would seem a necessary next step - when time and money allow of course.
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Edmunds, M. & Kress, A. (1969) On the European species of Eubranchus (Mollusca Opisthobranchia). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 49: 879-912.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Eubranchus linensis? in The Netherlands?
September 15, 2007
From: Marco Faasse
Dear Bill,
A few times a Eubranchus form has been observed in The Netherlands, which looks extremely similar to E. linensis. Some people think it is E. farrani, but other colour morphs of E. farrani have never been observed in The Netherlands. I wonder whether E. linensis has a wider distribution than Portugal, but is often misidentified.
Locality: Koepeltje, Grevelingen, 2 m, The Netherlands, North Sea, NE Atlantic, 11 February 2006, hydroids and red algae on boulders. Length: approx. 1 cm. Photographer: Marco Faasse.
Marco Faasse
mafaasse@hetnet.nl
Faasse, M.A., 2007 (Sep 15) Eubranchus linensis? in The Netherlands?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20727Dear Marco,
We have at least one colour form of E. farrani from Holland on the Forum [see message #11695]. Your animal certainly looks like a colour form of E. farrani, but also just like E. linensis. I am posting a message today from Lucas Cervera [#20731] which includes a photo of E. linensis from the original description, for comparison.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Eubranchus farrani? from Portugal
September 14, 2007
From: Juan Lucas Cervera
Concerning message #20642:
Dear Joao Pedro and Bill,
This species is not Eubranchus farrani, but E. linensis García-Gómez, Cervera and García, 1990.
To date this is an uncommon species with a restricted area of distribution: from southern Portugal to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Best.
Lucas.
lucas.cervera@uca.es
Cervera, J.L., 2007 (Sep 14) Re: Eubranchus farrani? from Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20684Thanks Lucas,
It certainly makes life difficult when we have a species like E. linensis, which looks just like one of the colour variations of E. farrani, right in the middle of its geographic range. Jim Anderson has a photo [#11240] from Scotland which is almost identical in colour but must surely be E. farrani?.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Eubranchus farrani? from Portugal
September 8, 2007
From: Joao Pedro Silva
Note added 14 September 2007: According to Lucas Cervera this is Eubranchus linensis. [See message #20684]
Dear Bill,
As I've only seen Eubranchus farrani once I'm not sure if my identification is correct. Another shot from yesterday's dive.
Locality: Peniche, 10 metres, Portugal, North Atlantic, 02 September 2007, Rocky bottom. Length: less than 1 cm. Photographer: Joao Pedro Silva.
Cheers,
Joao Pedro Tojal Loia Soares Silva
jpsilva@uwphotographer.net
Silva, J. P., 2007 (Sep 8) Eubranchus farrani? from Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20642Dear Joao Pedro,
I also have only seen this species alive once myself. It was on a trip to South Wales with Tom Thompson in 1971, so I can't say I am an expert either, but I think we will find that the large orange patches on the dorsum are very characteristic. This is a very variable species and this is another colour variation for the Forum.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
